Mormon ‘Scheme of Lies’ Amended Class Action Lawsuit Filed Following Dismissal Attempt

In September 2019, the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints filed a motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit that claims the LDS religion is a “scheme of lies.”

Plaintiff Laura G. claimed that the LDS church influenced through misrepresentation and concealment to engineer an attraction to faith in the core beliefs of Mormonism.

The Mormon Church class action lawsuit states that Laura was raised by a single mother who joined the church in the late 1970s. The plaintiff states that she attended LDS schools and learned through songs the teachings of Joesph Smith.

The plaintiff says that she spent up to three hours every Sunday learning about Mormonism. In addition, she claims that she would have to perform “janitorial” duties.

After graduating from high school in 2005, Laura would continue to be close to the Mormon Church and attended college-level instruction about Mormonism. During this time, she also worked as a waitress, which helped her save money for a mission.

In February 2018, while preparing for a lesson, Laura Googled “Mormon videos” and came across a video of an interview with Josh Durham, a physician, who talked about mind control and the “religious extremism in the context of Mormonism.”

“After several weeks of intense research, (plaintiff) learned that Smith had multiple visions and that there exist multiple versions of the first vision, that the earliest in 1832, written in Smith’s handwriting, described only a vision of the Lord who forgave Smith for his sins,” the Mormon class action lawsuit states.

Laura states that she also discovered that there was no evidence that Smith studied what was described on the gold plates, or that he ever used the plates.

“She found that she could not reconcile what she had learned and now believed to be the truth about her Mormon beliefs with continuing membership in the Mormon organization. Ultimately, months after that first rude awakening, she resigned from the Church,” the lawsuit states.

The LDS class action claims that “for almost 200 years, the COP, through its agent leaders, has represented Mormonism to be the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, claiming that the divine authority essential to that gospel (Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthoods) was taken from the Earth after Christ’s crucifixion.”

The plaintiff alleges that this information contradicts the orthodox narrative which is taught to church members.

“When the true facts are substituted for the longstanding false orthodox narrative, the story that emerges has shocked devoted Mormons who have made life-altering decisions based upon a scheme of lies,” the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints class action lawsuit states.

The Mormon Church class action lawsuit claims that children, as early as their teens, are “indoctrinated” for numerous months by COP employees at missionary training centers. In addition, at twice annual General Conferences, Mormon leaders espouse that they will never lead their members astray.

“This promise is initially instilled in young children’s minds through song and continues to be emphasized throughout a Mormon’s life,” the plaintiff alleges.

Laura wants to represent a Class of thousands of former Mormons who have been allegedly hoodwinked by the LDS church through the Mormon Corporate Empire.

The plaintiff claims that the Latter-day Saints Church owes the potential Class Members reimbursement for payments of monies as well as for the value of services unwittingly provided by Mormons.

The suit also seeks reimbursement for “emotional distress” which has resulted in harm such as “existential crises, suicides, broken families, insomnia, anxiety, and depression.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints class action lawsuit states that the Mormon Corporate Empire is comprised of four levels: Paid General Authorities, Unpaid Local Leadership, Relevant Business Entities, and the Mormon Educational Empire.

According to the lawsuit, the false statements and misrepresentations promulgated form a fraudulent scheme committed by the LDS church, its employees and agents, as well as possible converts to Mormonism.

In its motion to dismiss the case, the Corporation of the President of the LDS Church states that the plaintiff is basically asking the court to order a “modern day inquisition” into the teachings of Mormonism. “(The plaintiff’s) claims would require this Court to adjudicate questions of profound theological import for the Church,” the motion to dismiss argues.

The LDS motion to dismiss further states that none of the questions that the plaintiff poses belong in a court of law and that the law does not ask judges or juries to adjudicate whether any religions are true or false.

“It is not the province of judges or juries to determine whether Moses parted the Red Sea, whether Noah predicted and survived the flood, whether Mohammed ascended to heaven, whether Buddha achieved a state of enlightenment, whether Jesus walked on water, or whether Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ,” the motion to dismiss states.

The plaintiff has accused the LDS church of common law fraud, fraud in the inducement to enter into an oral contract, breach of equitably imposed fiduciary duties, fraudulent concealment, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO), and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In May 2020, Laura filed an amended complaint to clarify she was not seeking to challenge normative statements by the Mormon church.
According to court documents, the plaintiff alleges that the COP has engaged and continues to engage in a scheme of deception by keeping certain material facts out of the narrative of the LDS church’s history.

“This scheme, which now appears to include lies about tithing use, was plotted to exploit lay LDS members and potential members, enabling COP to continue its accumulation of wealth and economic and political control over the State of Utah and elsewhere,” says the complaint.

Laura asserts that the COP has started to admit that false statements have been provided and that material facts regarding the religion’s history were omitted. Still, the COP’s Correlation, especially in the last 50 years or so, has allegedly “published grossly misleading statements” that were knowingly false.

At issue is the tithing of 10% of the earnings that Laura and other Mormons donated to the church that allowed them to participate in temple ceremonies and last through eternity. If the 10% is not paid, entrance is denied.

“Absent of COP’s underlying scheme of lies, which form the basis for members’ beliefs, tithing would not be paid,” alleges the LDS complaint.

The LDS lawsuit contends that in late 2019, the COP took several billion dollars from a $128 billion liquid slush fund that the IRS requires to be used toward humanitarian aid and instead used it for profit-making businesses. The money, which included tithing principal from its Ensign Peak Advisors, allegedly helped bail out failing life insurance company Beneficial Life in 2009, and was used to help develop Creek Mall in Salt Lake City.

The court has scheduled a motion for oral arguments, along with a motion to dismiss the amended complaint and a motion requesting judicial notice, for Jan. 5.

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